Rotary water-meter



(No Model.)

S. L. SHUPFLETON.

ROTARY WATER METER. No. 375,899. Patented Jan. 3, 1888.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL L. SHUFFLETON, OF EUREKA, CALIFORNIA.

ROTARY WATER-METE R.

QPBCIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 375,899, dated January3, 1888.

Am lieation filed June 30, 1887. Serial No. 243,010. (No model.)

To (all whom, it may concern.-

Beit known that LSAMUEL L. SHUFFLETON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Eureka, in the county of Humboldt and State of California,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Liquid-Meters, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in liquid-meters; and it consistsin the peculiar construction and combination of devices, that will bemore fully set forth hereinafter, and particularly pointed out in theclaims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical transverse sectional view ofaliquid-meterembodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a horizontallongitudinal sectional view of the same, taken on the line 00 ac ofFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the bearing-box andjournal.

A represents an inclosing-case, which is preferably made of metal andhas itsupper side rounded, as shown. FrBm the inner side of the endwalls of the caseproject bearings or cars B, the inner ends of which arerecessed. The lower sides ofthe said recesses are flat or horizontal,and the upper sides thereof are rounded or semicircular in form, asshown. The lower side of the case A is provided with alateraloutwardly-projecting flange, D, and the bottom of theeaseis providedwith a similar projecting flange, which is bolted to the flange D.

E represents the inlet-pipe, which com municates with the upperside ofthe case and is provided with a check-valve, F. An outlet pipe, G,communicates with and extends from the lower side of the case.

G represents a rectangular revoluble trough, which is open on oppositesides, and thereby forms compartments H, which are of the same size.From the ends of this trough, at the center thereof, project trunnionsI, which are flattened on opposite sides and enter the recesses in theopposing sides of the ears or bearings B. As the said trunnions areflattened,it will be readily understood that they will cause therevoluble trough to stop at each semi-revolution and support the troughin a horizontal position. is provided with a bucket, K, which bucketsare arranged on opposite sides of the trough and at the outer edges ofthe compartments thereof. The walls between the said com- Eachcompartment H of the trough partments and the said buckets are partlycut away, as shown at L.

M represents ashaft, which extends through and is journaled in astnlfing-box in one of the end walls of the case A. The outer end ofthis shaft is adapted to be geared to a suitable registering orrecording device, such as are commonly employed in meters of this class,

and the inner end of the said shaft is provided.

with a series of radial tappet-arms, N. The buckets K are each providedat one end with a projecting tappet-pin, O.

The operation of my invention is as follows: Water or other liquid isforced through the inlet-pipe under pressure, and a quantity of air ismaintained in the case A at a pressure corresponding to that of theliquid. As the liquid enters the upper side of the case ,it pours intothe upper compartment of the revoluble tank until the said compartmentis filled, and it then flows into the projecting bucket on the outerside of the compartment. NVhile the compartment is filling, the troughis maintained in a horizontal position by reason of its flattenedtrunnions and the horizontal lower side of the bearingrecesses. When thebucket at the outer side of the upper compartment becomes filled, itdestroys the equilibrium of the trough and causes the same to turnthrough half a revolution in the direction indicated by the arrow inFig. 1. As thctrough turns,one of the tappet-pins Ocomes in contact withone of the tappet-arms N, and thereby partly rotates the shaft N, andcorrespondingly moves the recording mechanism. The liquid of course isdischarged from the upper compartment and its bucket when the troughturns, and the operation before described is then repeated, the troughbeing caused to partly rotate as soon as each of its buckets becomesfilled.

The compressed air in the case is prevented from escaping by reason ofthe valx e F, and this air serves a useful purpose when the liquidbecomes frozen in the casein cold weather, as it then partly fills thecase and leaves room for the liquid to expand when thawing, and therebyprevents it from bursting the case.

Aliquid-1neter thus constructed is extremely cheap and simple, is verydurable, is not likely to get out of order, and is sufficiently accuratefor ordinary purposes.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. In a liquid-meter, therevoluble trough having the buckets projecting from opposite sides andhaving the flattened trunnions bearing in similar recesses, for thepurpose set forth, substantially as described.

2. In a liquid-meter, the combination of the case having the bearingsflattened on thelower side, the revoluble trough having the fiattenedtrunnions arranged in the flattened bearings and provided with thebuckets projecting from opposite sides, and the tappet-pins O, and therotating shaft M, having the radial tappet arms arranged in the path ofthe tappet-pins substantially as described.

3. In aliquid-meter, the combination of the case A, having the inlet andoutlet pipes, the former being provided with the check-valve F, the earsor bearings in the end walls of the case, having the recesses in theiropposing sides, which recesses have the flattened lower sides, and therevoluble trough having the flat tened trunnions bearing in the recessesand provided with the buckets K to receive the overflow from the trough,substantially as de scribed.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixedmy signature in presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL L. SHUFFLETON.

Vitnesses:

W. O. ESPIN, N. BULLooK.

